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Admission Requirements for the Master of Divinity
Applications for admission to the Master of Divinity program will not be considered complete until all of the following items are properly completed and submitted:

Application Form – This form should be completed in detail.

Application Fee – The applicant must submit an application fee. Information about the application fee is published in the application packet, on Amridge University’s website, and is available from the Admissions Office. This one-time fee is non-refundable.

· An earned Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree from a regionally accredited institution. Advanced Bible Placement of 15 semester hours can be obtained if the student has completed an undergraduate major in religious studies. A student receiving Advanced Bible Placement would be required to take 75 semester hours to complete the degree option (assuming that no transferable graduate credits can be considered beyond the undergraduate degree). Then all 75 semester hours must be taken at Amridge University to qualify for graduation for those receiving 15 semester hours of Advanced Bible Placement. Note: If another accredited institution has given you Advanced Bible Placement applied toward a completed Master’s degree (e.g. MAR-nonthesis), then Amridge University will not re-apply these to our M.Div. degree.

Official Transcripts – Applicants must request an official academic transcript from each postsecondary institution previously attended to be sent directly to Amridge University. Transcript Request Forms are in the application packet and are also available on the University’s web site. No transcript is official unless it is sent from institution to institution and bears the seal of the institution where the work was completed.

If the applicant has not completed the last course(s) at another school for which he or she is registered at the time of filing his or her application with Amridge University, a partial transcript should be sent for evaluation. The final transcript showing courses completed and any degree earned is required before the end of the first semester after initial matriculation. No academic credit will be recorded on a student’s permanent record until all necessary credentials are received.

Language – One year of Greek or one year of Hebrew on the undergraduate level with a grade of “C” or above is required, or the student may take FD 6302 and FD 6303 Elementary Greek I and II OR FD 6306 and FD 6307 Elementary Hebrew I and II on the graduate level. A student who wishes to concentrate in the area of Old Testament text should enroll in the Hebrew language or in the Greek language for the New Testament text. These courses, if not taken on the undergraduate level, can be taken as elective courses in the Master of Divinity program.

Letters of Recommendation – Graduate applicants must submit letters of recommendation for graduate study from two persons not related to the applicant but who know the applicant well. Preferably recommendations should come from businesspersons, church elders, ministers, or professors.

Standardized Tests – Have submitted to the Amridge University Admissions Office an official copy of the results of the Graduate Record Exam General (GRE) Test or the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) taken by the applicant. Applicants for whom English is a second language must provide documented evidence of English proficiency in one of two ways: (1) A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or (2) A score of at least 440 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for the paper version and 123 for the computer version.

Other national examinations normally accepted for admission to graduate programs of study will also be accepted. Applicants holding a doctoral degree from a regionally accredited institution are not required to take these standardized tests.

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is a professional-level degree program for individuals planning to enter or continue careers in full-time ministry. A major element of this program provides students with extensive studies in the biblical text and thorough preparation in theology and various areas of practical ministry. Through completion of this program, graduates will be able to conduct their ministry at the highest level of professional competence and communicate in a manner that is intellectually articulate. Also, graduates will be committed to, and effective in, evangelism. Finally, graduates of the M.Div. Degree will be able to conduct themselves and relate to others in a way that is spiritually mature and morally sensitive.

Upon completion of the Master of Divinity Program the graduates will have:

1. Acquired a more in-depth knowledge of the Bible to more effectively function in various roles in a church setting;

2. Skills in studying the Bible;

3. A sound foundation for continuing scholarly biblical studies such as a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies; for advanced education; and

4. Preparation for job opportunities such as minister or ministerial related works, teacher in a school, college or university.

These outcomes are assessed through a comprehensive examination. A student may demonstrate achievement of these outcomes by receiving a passing grade (i.e., Qualifying or Qualifying with Distinction) for the comprehensive examination given for this degree.

Degree Requirements
The Master of Divinity degree prepares students through four streams of learning including relevant fieldwork. These four areas of study are referred to as “streams of learning” because of the fluid interdisciplinary nature of how they weave together, each adding to the other, until a stronger body of learning emerges, a powerful river capable of transforming the world through which it moves.

Buddhist Studies —an in-depth understanding of the basic texts and doctrines of the religion both in historical and present day context;

Community—the ability to apply these teachings, and the other elements learned in the program, including peacemaking skills, the contemplative approach to leadership, and the establishment of “engaged” communities in a variety of communal settings;

Interfaith Pastoral Care Training —the ability to serve the spiritual and human needs of a diverse community in a ministerial/chaplaincy role while embodying the principles and practices of one’s primary tradition;

Practice and Meditation—the spiritual practice of sitting meditation drawn from the Buddhist tradition, incorporating both shamatha (calm abiding) and vipashyana (clear seeing) meditation.

The fieldwork placements, which are made based on individual student interests, provide a live context for students to integrate all four streams of learning through applying them to the needs of real world situations, initiating, at the same time, the process of lifetime learning through their work. These fieldwork placements or experiential learning internships may incorporate a more traditional chaplaincy model, Buddhist chaplaincy model, interfaith chaplaincy model or that of the contemplative social activist.

The 78-credit Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree prepares people for professional work in the fields of pastoral care, Buddhist chaplaincy and/or interfaith chaplaincy, dharma teaching and community development. This three-year program is firmly grounded in Buddhist Studies concerning both its philosophy and its practice of meditation practice, and strongly emphasizes an interreligious approach to individual and community care, and a pluralistic view of working with life and diversity.

Having a genuine interest in studying the Buddhist path is required, though identifying oneself as a Buddhist is not.

The Master of Divinity is a professional degree for employment in the larger field of human services. This degree will allow people to seek employment as, among other things, chaplains, counselors, caregivers and change agents.

In particular, completion of a Master of Divinity degree has traditionally been an important credential in preparing a candidate for ministry as a Buddhist or interfaith chaplain. The established job opportunities for Buddhist or interfaith chaplains include positions in hospitals, hospices, prisons and the armed forces. Other available career paths include work in the not-for-profit community-based sector and other nontraditional “ministries” such as social activism, interfaith ministry or community development.

The program includes significant internship and fieldwork experience, designed to meet the interests and needs of individual students wherever possible. This training develops individuals who can actively manifest wisdom and compassion in the world.

a. Prerequisites

1. B.A./B.S. degree or the B.Th./B.Th.C.E. from N.E.S.T. or equivalent.

2. English language proficiency must be demonstrated upon request (500 score in E.E.E. or in T.O.E.F.L.).

b. Required Courses Credits
Old Testament
BI 211 Biblical Hebrew (I) 3
BI 212 Biblical Hebrew (II) 3
BI 251 Introduction to O.T. (I) 3
BI 252 Introduction to O.T. (II) 3
BI 301-309 (One O.T. Exegesis course) 3
BI 351 O.T. Theology 3

New Testament
BI 215 Biblical Greek (I) 3
BI 216 Biblical Greek (II) 3
BI 255 Introduction to N.T. 3
BI 256 The Synoptic Gospels 3
BI 311-319 (One N.T. Exegesis course) 3
BI 352 N.T. Theology 3

Church History
HI 251 Introduction to Church History (I) 3
HI 252 Introduction to Church History (II) 3
HI 351-354 or 361 (One Eastern Church History) 3
HI 381-382 (One Ecumenics course) 3

Systematic Theology
ST 251 Introduction to Systematic Theology (I) 3
ST 252 Introduction to Systematic Theology (II) 3
ST 301-305 One major Doctrine 3
ET 255 Christian Ethics or
ET 315 Social Issues in Theol. Perspective 3

Practical Theology
PR 218-220 Field Education 3
PR 252 Worship & Liturgy 3
PR 255 Introduction to Preaching 3
PR 318 Pastor & Parish 3
PR 325 Teaching Ministry of the Church 3
PR 362 Pastoral Care & Counseling 3

Islamics & History of Religions
IS 251 The Rise & Development of Islam 3
IS 306 Christian – Muslim Relations 3

c. Electives 9
(Students may opt to write a 3-credit senior paper [25–30 pages] or a 6-credits senior thesis [50–60 pages] in their last year of study instead of taking all their Electives as courses.)

d. Practicums (one hour per week, non-credit course)
P1 Study and Research Skills
P2 Speech and Homiletics
Elective
Elective

TOTAL 90

The M.Div. is a 3-year, 90-credit (and 4 practicums) program which aims to prepare candidates for the pastoral ministry. This program provides complete professional training with equal attention given to each area of the theological curriculum.

The M.Div. program is also open to all candidates who have had a theological education at the B.Th. level and who have been proposed by their churches, or are otherwise qualified. Some requirements of this program may be waived in view of a previous B.Th. preparation.

The Master of Divinity program prepares students for full-time professional ministry in the Roman Catholic Church. This program of theological education consists of classroom learning, guided ministerial experience, structures for integrative reflection, and a formation component. As the basic professional degree in ministry, the M.Div. provides general ministry preparation and offers a variety of opportunities for more specific concentration within the program, including biblical studies, cross cultural ministries, health care mission service, liturgical studies, pastoral theology, and world mission.

The M.Div. has two tracks–one for candidates for the ordained ministry, and one for lay and religious men and women who will not be ordained. Track I is designed to meet the needs of lay and religious men and women who will not be ordained. Track II is designed for candidates for the ordained ministry, and follows the specifications for academic and ministerial formation as required by The Program of Priestly Formation (Washington: USCCB, 2005).

The Master of Divinity degree is the normative degree to prepare persons for ordained ministry and for general pastoral and religious leadership responsibilities in congregations and other ministry settings. It is the required degree for admission to the Doctor of Ministry degree program, and the recommended first theological degree for admission to advanced programs oriented to theological research and teaching.

The program has two capstone elements. First, its curriculum design takes the student through a progression of studies in Greek and Hebrew, homiletics, theology, hermeneutics, and the biblical text. These lead to a capstone course entitled “Exegesis of Romans.” The pinnacle goal is to help the student appreciate these various areas of study as a concatenated whole toward communication and application of biblical truth and the formation of an integrated biblical worldview. Thus, in this final course, students will be challenged not only in their skills in the original biblical languages, but also in their ability to utilize exegetical conclusions to formulate and communicate an integrated biblical worldview.

To complement the students’ biblical and theological studies, a significant portion of study is given to pastoral ministry courses in order to develop the students’ skill in the communication of the Scriptures as well as church leadership skills. The capstone of this part of the program is a one-year field experience course taken in the final year of study (after the student has completed 60 credits). In this course the student will meet with several advisors to evaluate whether the knowledge gained in classes is being applied in the human dynamic of ministry. To assist in this evaluation, the student will complete leadership inventories, meet with area ministry leaders and be interviewed by University faculty over the course of the year.

Tuition and Fees

All charges listed are for the academic year 2008-09 and are subject to change.

Basic Degrees Tuition
Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Christian Education, Master of Arts (Theological Studies), and Master of Divinity/Master of Arts in Christian Education Dual Degree
$1,076 per course. If ten credits are taken in the nine-month academic year, the total is $10,760. Courses worth 2 credits (summer language courses, summer supervised ministry, clinical pastoral education, field-based learning) cost $2,152. The total cost for 12 credits is $12,912.

Advanced Degrees Tuition
Master of Theology and Doctor of Philosophy

$11,904 per year. Ph.D. students in their third year or later pay $1,082 tuition each long term for one credit in dissertation research and writing for a total of $2,164 per year.

The Th.M. degree is designed to be completed in one nine-month academic year. Students in this program are charged tuition at the yearly rate listed above. Depending on the number of credits completed, Th.M. students who receive permission to extend their program beyond one year may pay a continuation fee of $1,082 for each fall term and each spring term until all degree requirements are completed.

Fees
Student Activities Fee
All full-time students will be charged $200 per year. Part-time students, including doctoral level students after the first two years in residence, will be charged $76 per year. ECP and D.Min. students will be charged $13 per course.

Late Registration Fee
This $60 fee applies to registrations received after the date shown on student registration forms.

Graduation Fee
$125 per degree for all degree programs except M.Div./M.A.C.E. The fee for M.Div./M.A.C.E. degree students is $150, reflecting the two degrees earned.

Directed Study Fee
There is a $60 fee for all directed studies submitted after the first day of the term for which they are to be registered. Directed studies submitted after the end of the drop/add period of a term will, except in the case of a graduating senior’s final term, be registered for the following term (summer excluded) though the work may be done prior to that with the professor’s permission. An additional $150 honorarium fee is charged to students who are given permission to do directed studies with adjunct faculty members.
By Pass and Advanced-Standing Examination Fee
There is a $125 fee for each by-pass and each advanced-standing examination.

Dissertation Fee
Ph.D. students pay this $500 fee in their final year.